At KC Dawgz, we believe it takes a family to help a family. All of our trainers are dedicated to helping families learn valuable skills and behaviors to encourage happy, calm, and friendly dogs. It is important for dogs to experience training with many different trainers so that they learn to respect the commands, not just one person’s mannerisms. Our trainers work with families across the metro, including dog training in Kansas City, MO at our Gladstone and Overland Park academies. Meet our awesome team below!
Professional Dog Trainer
Bio coming soon
Professional Dog Trainer
Bio coming soon
General Manager
Not currently owning a pup of her own, Erica loves working at KC Dawgz, in part, because it allows her to interact with all of the dogs that come into the gym! Not a dog trainer herself, she is responsible for our sales and customer service.
Erica brings unparalleled energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to our team. We appreciate her not only for her ability to answer the phone, but also her keen sense of what snacks to bring in for our training staff!
Professional Dog Trainer
Richard has been working with dogs since 2008. He moved to Chicago planning to party and become a famous musician, and came home to Kansas City as a dog trainer instead. It was a good trade. He’d always liked helping people, loved dogs and enjoyed teaching, and training lets him do all three. He has trained in Chicago, Tampa and Kansas City, and he’s a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP).
Most of Richard’s work is behavior modification for family dogs: aggression, reactivity and everyday manners, plus harder cases like separation anxiety. He also loves starting new puppies on a clean slate. Asked what he’s best at, he says “considering the dog.” Instead of putting every dog through the same system, he looks at what each dog and family actually need. At KC Dawgz, the trainers work together and openly debate the best plan for each dog.
To Richard, the most important part of training is a good working relationship between owner and dog. New clients can expect an honest look at that relationship. They might also hear his take on the most common myth: a wagging tail doesn’t always mean a happy dog. His favorite moment comes a few days into a program. That’s when a dog starts making better decisions on its own and the owners start talking about how much they’re enjoying life together.
At home, Richard has Lily, a DNA-tested mix of pit bull, Rottweiler, Doberman, chow and more. She’s the “coolest dog ever,” in his words. Lily is a worker, but she’s a senior now, so the two of them do a lot of front-porch sitting. Richard is also a musician, and he claims Katy Perry wrote “Teenage Dream” about him. We haven’t been able to confirm that.
Quick Hits
Professional Dog Trainer
Bio coming soon
Professional Dog Trainer
EmilyAnne has wanted to be a dog trainer since she was five. She worked with animals all through childhood, and her first dog of her own, Zeke, convinced her to make it a career. She started out professionally in the KC Dawgz apprenticeship program and has been working with dogs for six years. She has also completed a six-month mentorship with a Texas-based trainer on the neuroscience of behavior modification.
EmilyAnne specializes in fearful reactivity. She’s at her best helping nervous dogs gain confidence, and she also loves puppy work, tricks, agility and off-leash skills. One dog that stands out is Wally, a cattle dog mix who arrived wearing a muzzle because of bite attempts. Over four weeks of confidence building with a neuroscience- and emotion-based approach, Wally became a happy, easy-to-handle dog who could go out into the world safely and enjoy it. Watching a fearful dog turn into a confident, happy companion is her favorite transformation.
To EmilyAnne, good training takes consistency and flexibility. What owners most often miss is that training is an ongoing process, not something you program once and count on forever. That’s also what she likes about KC Dawgz: there’s no set checklist every dog has to get through, so trainers can work with the dog in front of them, the way that dog learns. New clients can expect straight talk. In her words, “I’ll be real with you.” Her favorite part is helping owners connect the dots so they understand their dog and can work together as a team, and then watching it all click.
At home, EmilyAnne has two dogs. Zeke is a heeler, hound and terrier mix who is vocal, silly and opinionated, loves people and LOVES digging in loose dirt. Howdy is a cattle dog and border collie cross who is energetic, smart and goofy, and obsessed with his Chuckit ball. Together they go on off-leash hikes, do agility, scent work and tricks, and head out on outings and field trips. EmilyAnne also has a degree in creative writing.
Quick Hits
Professional Dog Trainer
Regan has been working with dogs for 16 years. She started out training horses and other livestock, then moved into professional dog training at 19, focusing on obedience and puppies. At 21 she opened her own training company and began taking on behavior modification cases, mostly in partnership with local rescues. Since then she has worked with a veteran service dog program and partnered with local businesses. She has been an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluator and has completed a six-month mentorship on the neuroscience behind fearful and reactive dogs.
Regan has worked with nearly every kind of dog, from service dogs to truly aggressive dogs. She loves high-drive sporting dogs and odor work, but she has a huge soft spot for fearful and shut-down dogs. Her favorite transformation is seeing one of them gain enough confidence to let their real personality shine through. The dog that got her into behavior modification was her own Great Dane, who was aggressive toward other female dogs and impossible to handle. She went on to become a well-adjusted, trustworthy service dog.
Regan’s biggest strength is explaining the “why” behind the training. Training a dog is one skill; teaching an owner well enough to set them both up for a lifetime of success is a finer one. The myth she runs into most is that your dog needs you to be the boss. What dogs need is clear, consistent expectations, communication and trust, and most of the problems she sees between owners and their dogs come down to a breakdown in communication. To her, the most important part of training is staying adaptable: every case is different, and each dog is like a puzzle, which keeps her on her toes. She sees the same approach across the KC Dawgz team, which shares a real bond and is willing to collaborate and use progressive methods.
New clients should expect to learn. Regan adjusts how she teaches to fit each person, and her favorite moment is when the gears start turning and things click for the dog. She also enjoys keeping in touch with clients long after their program ends and being a resource when they need one.
At home, Regan has Ringo, an Australian Cattle Dog she describes as loyal, intense, goofy and driven. They spend their free time doing odor work, hiking and hammocking. Regan is also a pet portrait artist, forages for mushrooms and medicinal plants, and grows tropical houseplants.
Quick Hits
Professional Dog Trainer
Caleb developed his love for dogs at a very young age. He spent countless hours observing as his father worked with their retrievers, developing them into highly trained hunting dogs. After honorably serving his country for 8 years, Caleb retired from the United States Military. He then attended and graduated from the prestigious Tom Rose School for Professional Dog Trainers. In 2016, Caleb would go on to work in rescue shelters, helping to rehabilitate dogs with fear, aggression, and other general behavior issues.
Eager to further his education, Caleb went back to TRS where he learned how to train service dogs, dogs used for diabetic detection, assistance dogs for PTSD, seizure response, and Autism – all before he even came to KC Dawgz. Caleb currently has two dogs of his own; Cyrus, a Doberman, and Susan, a German Shepherd.
Lead Trainer, Professional Dog Trainer
Victor grew up in the Springfield, Missouri, area and was actually afraid of dogs as a young child, until his family adopted two Schnoodle mixes, Scooter and Zippy. His path into training started years later with a Belgian Malinois mix puppy and no budget for a trainer. He’d always been amazed by what dogs can do and wanted to learn how it’s done, so he took on the training himself. That turned into a career. He now has more than six years of professional experience, is a graduate of Kennelwood Academy for Dog Trainers, holds certifications through the AKC and is a member of the Protection Sports Association (PSA). He has also trained under respected trainers including Larry Krohn and Nino Drowaert of STSK9.
As one of KC Dawgz’s lead trainers, Victor has worked with everything from puppies to aggressive behavior modification cases. He’s at his best with difficult behavior modification and high-drive, high-energy dogs, and reactivity is the work he enjoys most. His favorite transformation is watching a dog go from fear and aggression to confidence and calm. He also loves teaching people how to play better with their dogs.
At home, Victor has three dogs. Auri, a German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix, is loving and needy. Monica, a Belgian Malinois, is high drive and loving. He has trained both of them in human odor tracking, scent detection and PSA protection sport. Glen, a Lab, keeps things simple and goofy. Off the clock, they go hiking and out to public events together.
Lead Trainer, Professional Dog Trainer
Hailing from the great city of Wichita, KS, Allison has looked forward to being a professional dog trainer for her entire life! Though she grew up in a family that didn’t have pets, she always wanted them.
Allison has had a firm belief for several years that she was born to be a dog trainer. She grew up caring for and playing with the dogs of her various family and friends. She stayed fascinated and intrigued with the prospect of teaching and taming dogs that have rough exteriors – but kind hearts.
After handling and caring for hundreds of dogs, Allison progressed through the KC Dawgz Apprenticeship Program to further develop her knowledge and dog training abilities and has developed into one of the top trainers in the area – specializing in Group Classes, Obedience, and Behavior Modification. She proudly boasts American Kennel Club Certification.
Allison strives to always develop a close and personal relationship with every furry friend that she encounters. She believes that training has the ability to create strong relationships between dogs and their parents through engagement, understanding, and obedience.
She has a husky named Bumi, who is a fantastic trick dog, and a cat named Egg. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her pets and going on hikes.
OWNER
Hailing from the great city of Wichita, KS, Allison has looked forward to being a professional dog trainer for her entire life! Though she grew up in a family that didn’t have pets, she always wanted them.
Allison has had a firm belief for several years that she was born to be a dog trainer. She grew up caring for and playing with the dogs of her various family and friends. She stayed fascinated and intrigued with the prospect of teaching and taming dogs that have rough exteriors – but kind hearts.
After handling and caring for hundreds of dogs, Allison progressed through the KC Dawgz Apprenticeship Program to further develop her knowledge and dog training abilities and has developed into one of the top trainers in the area – specializing in Group Classes, Obedience, and Behavior Modification. She proudly boasts American Kennel Club Certification.
Allison strives to always develop a close and personal relationship with every furry friend that she encounters. She believes that training has the ability to create strong relationships between dogs and their parents through engagement, understanding, and obedience.
She has a husky named Bumi, who is a fantastic trick dog, and a cat named Egg. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her pets and going on hikes.
